Body Armor or Not?

[JDS556762]

Can't buy off their website, that must be some elite kit.

It might have come home with me

 

[JDS556762]

All level III composite armor is not created equal. There is Level III + armor out there that will stop mulit hits from 5.56 M855 and M193......but you are going to pay a premium for that kind of protection in a 5 to 6 lb plate.

The advantages of level III composite armor is weight reduction and mulit-hit rating, along with durability (depending on plate composition) against dropping banging against hard surfaces. The disadvantages are inability to stop 30 cal AP, sensitivity to heat/cold (Above 150, below -15 degrees) and prolonged UV.

The advantages of Level IV armor is single hit rating 30 cal AP protection (although I have seen a level IV plate take four 30-06 AP hits before it failed). The disadvantages are weight (though not quite as heavy as steel) and damage (micro fractures) from drops/banging against hard surfaces that can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the armor and as a result it should really have an annual x-ray to asses that.

The advantage of steel armor is reduced price....and just about nothing else.

Having worn worn both Level IV and Level III enhanced for extended periods of time, I would choose a bouncer with level IIIA soft armor and Level III enhanced plates any day and accept that if I get hit with a 30 cal AP round it's just my time. For me he reduced weight and increased maneuverability is worth the reduction in protection. In fact it's exactly what I have, Eagle Maritime CIRAS with Speer BALCS Cut Level IIIA soft armor and a MSA/Paraclete DHP3-1012 triple curve. Pricey rig for sure, not for everybody, but worth it to me. As always, YMMV.

This. 100%

 

[MRH]

Nope, level III+. The ceramic component is very minimal in overall plate composition, the majority of the plate is compressed Dyneema. The small ceramic element combined with aluminum oxide pluses up the level protection without adding the full weight of a totally ceramic level IV plate. The 10x12 swimmers cut triple curve plate comes in at about 5.5 lbs.

Bad ass! Very interesting. I haven't seen these...The weight is exceptional too. I will have to take a look at them.

 

[Spas-12 Owner]

Nothing to fancy.... AR500 plates w/condor carrier....

 

[Smoothie]

http://vraptorspeedworks.com/vraptor-armorworks-llc/

I like this stuff. Nothin fancy about it but it's made with real armor plate. Certified to 30-06 AP. It's also cheap and doesn't care about heat and doesn't mind being dropped. I would probably spring for cermamic but I have a habit of dropping things. 2 plates with spall coating is $174.00. No spall coating is only $89. One option is to toss one in a laptop pack. At least then you'll have front coverage. A cheap jpc for airsoft is about $50.00. I like the jpc because the straps for the other carriers are bulky and prevent stock placement. Not operator. Just better than nothing and costs almost nothing. You'll still have money for training also.

I like them already!

"At VRaptor ArmorWorks, LLC, we believe very strongly in the 2nd Amendment and the Rights of the People to Keep and Bear Arms. Unfortunately, there is a current political climate that wishes to destroy our 2nd Amendment rights under the Constitution of the United States of America. Personally, my worst nightmare would be to find out that I had sold armor to a police agency that was responsible for entering the home of a law-abiding US Citizen in order to confiscate that persons legally-purchased firearms or high capacity magazines. As a result, starting immediately, VRaptor ArmorWorks, LLC refuses to sell armor to ANY Law Enforcement Officers or Government Officers/Agents living or working inside the state of New York or Colorado. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!"

 

[Lazarus]

Anyone know what kind of vest this is? I like the way its set up and the shoulder straps look comfy

 

[Bushwick100]

Most people that own guns in America own several of them, and many of us have dozens.
Yet, aside from people who are current or former law enforcement officers, not many people have body armor.

Why is that?

Certainly the answer isn't that it's not comfortable enough to wear every day, and you can't predict when you'll be attacked, so why bother?

If that were a good way of thinking, you wouldn't have that combat shotgun or AR or AK pattern rifle at home in your gun safe or in the corner of your bedroom. We all have guns, combat-oriented guns, that we keep in a fairly ready and quickly-accessible location "just in case" we need them. We don't just have one handgun, small and concealable, for daily carry and nothing else.

If you think your .38 . 357 revolver or 9mm or .40 or .45 pistol is good enough for most purposes, but "IF YOU SEE TROUBLE COMING" you'll get out the long gun, why wouldn't you also want to slip a vest over your torso (with or without any cover garment, but let's say it goes OVER whatever shirt you'd been wearing, and then you cover it with some other shirt, if for no other reason than to not show the bad guys that you're wearing a vest)?

It should only take an additional 10 seconds to put on body armor in a hurry, and another 10 seconds to toss an oversize shirt or light jacket over that. Nothing with buttons-- just zippers or a straight pull-over design. Or if your shirt or jacket has buttons, buy it big enough that you don't need to use them. Keep it buttoned except up at the neck, and pull it over your head like it were a knit sweater when the time comes.

MY OPINION is that any one of us would be safer investing $200-$500 in body armor instead of the "next defensive gun" on our shopping list. A fellow with a $300 pistol and wearing a $300 vest is safer, and more likely to prevail in a gunfight, than the guy who has a $600 pistol and nothing that stops incoming rounds.

What do y'all think?

I had a buddy who was a Supply guy in the Military, he sent everyone in my family body armour, my families hates it, but me I'm used to the added weight. In, a real world situation, I'm wearing my Armour.

 

[JDS556762]

Anyone know what kind of vest this is? I like the way its set up and the shoulder straps look comfy

Almost looks like an EAGLE MMAC but with the old shoulder pads not the ones you can route coms through. Not positive but that’s my guess.

 

[JDS556762]

Hell, I’ll bring my PC and my helmet to the M&G on the 20th if anyone wants to feel the weight and stuff.

 

[JDS556762]

The PC I wore in Afghanistan.